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| Exterior Foundation
drains solve Basement flooding without
pumps or electricity !!! |
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| 10
reasons why exterior waterproofing is superior to
any interior type "water pours through your wall
system"
Your
basement is wet because it is sitting in water. Will
you "fix" this by drilling holes in your
walls to let the water and dampness inside, or will
you drain this water away from your house by gravity?
Note the dampness on this foundation wall is all the
way up to the top, as well as the amount of water
seeping out of the soil to the right of the ladder.
If you had a hole in your roof would you "fix"
it by installing a sump and a pump in your attic,
or would you correct the problems in the roof to allow
the water to drain away by itself?
Take
a tour and learn about the waterproofing process without
any high pressure sales or scare tactics. Our site
is designed to educate. Once consumers are made aware
of the benefits, they easily choose an exterior waterproofing
solution because it is just better and also healthier
for your family. Our best customer is an educated
customer.
"Your
house is only as healthy as your basement"
Wet
Crawlspace ???
Paraseal
Membrane is applied to the exterior of your foundation
walls to keep water and moisture away from your home
and family. Wet foundation walls in a basement promote
mold growth in your basement's walls, sheetrock, and
insulation. A home protected by Paraseal prevents
mold growth from growing and is a safer home for you
and your family.
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family deserves the best protection available against
Dampness, Flooding, Moisture, Mold, and Worry!
Join hundreds of satisfied customers who have benefited
from our use of modern materials and methods to convert
their musty, wet basements into valuable additions
to their family's living area! You'll be glad you
did!
Allow Bobcats for
Hire to expertly design and install a foundation drainage
system to your home that succeeds in drying both
the walls and also the floor of your basement. Our
exterior systems incorporate a waterproof membrane
and insulation that work together to keep your basement
dry, warm, and mold free. An exterior foundation drain
removes water BEFORE it pours through your foundation.
When water issues are resolved from the outside, water
naturally flows away from your house, not into it.
This is done by using gravity, plenty
of crushed stone, and without relying on mechanical
pumps or electricity. Engineers agree that this is
by far the best way to solve a leaky basement
problem. Water is diverted away, and not seeping through
walls to be collected in a basement sump. An exterior
foundation drain will help to remove dampness and
mold caused by moist walls.
Our exterior Paraseal Membrane GM also reduces radon
gas from entering through porous block walls. Interior
style drains jack hammer your cement floor and allow
radon to easily enter your home through the gap
that is left in the installation. Much of New
Jersey has high levels of Radon present, making
an exterior solution both more effective and more
safe. Doesn't your family deserve the peace of mind
from an exterior waterproofing system? Our articulated
excavators allow for digging in compact areas and
also directly against foundations which is usually
needed when correcting a leaky basement. Take a tour
and learn about the waterproofing process without
any high pressure sales or scare tactics. Our site
is designed to educate. Once consumers are made aware
of the benefits of an exterior waterproofing system,
they easily choose our exterior membrane waterproofing
solution because it is clearly better and also healthier
for your family. Of course it costs more to install
a waterproof membrane on the outside of your home,
but ask yourself this question: If I am having a problem
with water, mold, and moisture, do I want to keep
the water out of my basement altogether, or will I
be convinced by a salesman that I should drill holes
in my house to direct the water flow into my basement
because that is all that this salesman knows how to
do? Our exterior system is designed to direct water
and moisture away from your home,
not into it. If your plans for the
basement include finished living space for your family,
and you plan to stay in your home, our exterior waterproofing
system will be right for you.
Stop water
and soil gasses BEFORE they pour through your walls
with an exterior foundation drain. An exterior system
will keep your basement floor AND walls dry because
it stops the water from pouring through your block
walls. Below is a photo during the installation of
an exterior foundation drain, waterproof Paraseal
membrane, and Tremco drainage board to the foundation
wall. Paraseal is installed to the grade level to
keep water and moisture outside of the building. Once
the paraseal is installed, Trem-drain provides a second
layer of protection to your home. The small pockets
allow water to easily flow away from your home's foundation
wall and down to the exterior footing drain below.
Crushed stone, perforated PVC pipe, and protective
filter fabric are also installed. In this photo, the
waterproof Paraseal membrane will be installed all
the way up to the exposed brick which is the grade
level. The Paraseal membrane shown above protects
the exterior basement walls from contact with the
saturated soil. This allows your basement to be dry.
The photo below has been taken recently of a basement
not protected by Paraseal.
The Paraseal
membrane shown above protects the exterior
basement walls from contact with the saturated soil.
This allows your basement to be dry. The photo below
has been taken recently of a basement not protected
by Paraseal. Digging a hole inside your basement will
not stop water and dampness from accumulating in your
block walls unless you protect the wall from the outside
with Paraseal!
My
neighbor's water drains onto my property. What can
I do?
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French
Drainage Systems - How they work-
The
purpose of a French Drainage System is to carry
unwanted free standing water away from a building,
such as your home. French drains are commonly
installed near the perimeter of a building at
the lowest point or anywhere where standing
water is found. The system may terminate at
any point where the water will not drain back
toward the house. The best approach is to connect
to a city storm drain,
where possible, to totally remove the water
from the property. A second best solution would
be to run the water out to the street or to
a dry well.
French
drains can be shallow or deep drainage systems
depending on soil type and grade changes. However,
as with your plumbing waste drainage, French
drains operate on the principle of gravity.
The drain must slope downward. The minimum recommended
slope is 1/4 inch per foot. If the landscape
grade runs upward along the French drain path
you will have to dig deeper to maintain a downward
slope.
There
are many variables that affect how individual
houses develop water problems. Often it is a
combination of factors that develop over time.
French drains work by curing a symptom, not
the cause. They extract the water collected
in the drainage pipes to an outside location
away from the area intended to be kept dry.
It is always more beneficial to divert water
on the outside of a foundation wall before it
ever has an opportunity to penetrate the foundation.
This method has several advantages which include
reducing or eliminating mold, protecting the
foundation from excess moisture, and also (usually),
the benefit of a gravity only system. |
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Beware
of slick salespeople that suggest an inside
French Drain to cure your basement water
problems. It
is always more beneficial to divert
unwanted water before it has a chance
to penetrate your foundation walls, allowing
it to flow away via gravity instead
of using an electric pump to remove the
water from your basement sump pit. "Inside French
Drains" encourage the water to pour through
your foundation walls where it will collect
in a sump pit. The only thing between you and
a flooded basement is that small electric pump
and a steady supply of electricity during the
storm. Keep in mind that power outages most
frequently occur during a storm. Also, an inside
French drain does not "waterproof" your basement,
but instead collects the water and dampness
inside your basement to be pumped out with an
electric pump. Both water and dampness remain
inside your basement with an "inside" French
drain.
There
is a better solution!!!!
It's called an exterior
French or Foundation Drain, and this will keep
the water out of your basement before it ever
has a chance to get inside. This method is far
superior because the water and dampness stay
outside, and it needs no electric!!!
Installation: Installing a
French drain is usually a simple, but labor
intensive project. Obstacles, however, can make
the project costly and time consuming. These
include: Decks, concrete walkways, driveways,
tree roots, boulders, and underground utilities.
If you build a house, be sure to ask the builder
to include inside and especially outside French
drains on your new house. They may not seem
important now, but as your house ages, water
incursions can change over time, and a cheap
installation now may relieve expensive headaches
later. During construction, the cost of a French
drain is negligible. Spring for it. Demand it!
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Footing
Drains will dry your basement
(French
drains). For residential or other small-scale
buildings, perforated 4 in. (100 mm) plastic,
ceramic, or concrete pipe is normally used around
the periphery (see figure 9). It is laid in
a trench, at the level of the footings, and
protected from sediment with specifically designed
wide roll filter fabric.
The drains will collect
rain water falling within the catchment area
or lower the ground water level, thus reducing
the quantity of water affecting the wall. The
collected water must then either drain by gravity
(preferred) or be pumped to nearby storm sewers.
Footing drains (French
drains). Perforated pipe is placed
opposite the footing to drain both ground water
and excess water from periodic rain storms.
Such drains will reduce but not necessarily
eliminate rising damp in a wall.
When properly installed
and sized, footing drains perform well. They
will positively drain water from the catchment
area. Drains can last indefinitely,
but periodic inspection and clean-outs are required
to ensure that silt does not build up and that
tree roots or animals have not damaged the piping. |
Footing drains are most practical
for suburban sites or others where the entire
periphery of the building is readily accessible
and positive drainage is possible (i.e., pumping
is not required). Urban site can pose several
complications including the inaccessibility
of the building periphery to trenching and inability
to establish positive drainage of collected
water (pumps are often required).
Concrete Seepage tanks will
disburse water onsite at an elevation lower
than your basement floor. |
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| Our
Bobcat compact track Excavators have the distinct
advantage over a traditional backhoe because they
can articulate their booms thereby allowing them
to excavate immediately adjacent to a building's
foundation. This is critical in exterior
foundation drain installations which are frequently
used to waterproof a basement with a gravity type
system. One of the many advantages to installing
an exterior foundation drain to remove water via
gravity is that it takes away the lifeblood of
mold and mildew. Our French Drain systems designed
with Paraseal's combined rubber and Bentonite
membrane will not only remove the water seeping
into your foundation, but also remove the source
for mold that is growing in your damp walls. Studies
have shown that mold spores can be harmful to
the health of a home's occupants, and also that
by eliminating the source of water completely
can also kill the mold. Many businesses attempt
to cure a home's flooding basement with an "indoor"
style French Drain. This type of system lacks
several key benefits of an exterior gravity system.
First and foremost, an interior type system encourages
the water to flow through your foundation walls
which by definition keeps the walls wet and hospitable
to mold spores. An exterior foundation drain properly
designed will keep your home's foundation walls
dry and safe from the weakening structural effects
of constant dampness. Second, an "interior"
French Drain doesn't actually get rid of the water.
Instead it directs the water into a small swimming
pool in your basement. Not only does this pose
a potential safety hazard for small children,
but also it forces you to rely on electricity
and a mechanical pump to keep your basement dry
during a heavy storm. Everyone has experienced
a power failure during a storm, and it's most
likely that a pump will fail when you need it
the most. These are among the reasons why an exterior
gravity based foundation drain is a much more
efficient and reliable method for drying up your
basement. Thirdly, an exterior drainage system
has the added benefit of also drying up your lawn
and landscape so that pets and children have a
cleaner environment in which to play in. No "interior"
type drainage system can accomplish all of that
and operate with no moving parts, electricity
or maintenance!!! |
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Waterproofing
a Basement
This
house in New York had been getting water in
the basement, burned out three sump pumps,
and also had numerous wet spots in the backyard
for days following a rainstorm. This
wet soggy condition led to mosquitoes all
through the summer months. Following
a careful assessment of how to best solve
the problem, we decided on installing an outdoor
French Drain along the entire perimeter of
the home in addition to several surface drains
and a French Drain in the backyard.
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 Sure
it costs a little more, but isn't your family's
health worth it? |
The first step is to excavate
below the basement floor to the foundation.
Next, the concrete wall is carefully cleaned
and then damp proofed with either a tar
based substance or waterproofed with a Paraseal
membrane. Filter fabric is then installed
to protect the trench. A perforated
PVC pipe is used as a conduit for the water
to flow through, and then the entire trench
is backfilled with plenty
of 2 1/2" stone. The entire run
of perforated pipe is continuously sloping
downhill to remove the unwanted water twenty
four hours a day, seven days per week.
This entire system works by gravity –with
NO PUMPS or ELECTRICITY to burn out or go
out!!! Perforated piping is then fitted
where it will ultimately be protected by
filter fabric and surrounded on top and
bottom by crushed stone to act as a conduit
for any water to flow through on its way
to the sloping PVC pipe. The pipe
will always slope away from the residence
as it carries away the unwanted water.
The end result is a basement that is dry
by way of a gravity system that removes
water twenty four-seven without allowing
it to penetrate your basement walls or requiring
the use of an electric sump pump to remove
the water.
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A deep trench
is dug from the end of the house towards the
city storm drain. Notice the amount
of water draining away from the house through
this deep trench. Again, filter fabric,
perforated PVC pipe, and 2 ½" stone
are used to carry the unwanted water away
from the home. Ultimately, the
drain is completed with the end result being
a bone dry basement by way of an outdoor French
Drain.
This basement is now
ready for a children's playroom which includes
carpeting without worry of future flooding!!!
Among the advantages of
an outdoor drain are that no water seeps through
your home's foundation walls, thereby eliminating
water damage to your foundation. Additionally,
an outdoor system does not rely on a sump
pump to remove water collected in your basement.
Water is routed away from your house before
it even gets to the basement. When considering
an indoor type French Drain, ask yourself
if you would rather rely on a sump pump and
electric during a storm, or if you would prefer
good old gravity to remove the water instead.
Pumps and electric can fail, but gravity is
always there. Additionally, this type of French
drain has the added benefit of removing all
roof water through the leader system and
also in quickly drying out the rest of the
property and landscaping so that the children
and pets can play outside without getting
muddy!!! No indoor only drains can accomplish
that, too. Dollar for dollar, an exterior
French Drain provides a much better value
because it not only removes water from your
basement, but also from your lawn areas!!!
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Water will drain
by gravity away from this home's foundation.
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Ultimately,
the drain is completed, the property is graded,
and a Paving stone patio is installed in the
rear yard. A tremendous value has been
added to this house by making the wet basement
now useable for a play room and also in drying
out the rear soggy yard!
The hassle of burning
out sump pumps, occasional flooding, and constant
dampness are all gone thanks to a GRAVITY
based foundation drain at this home. |
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Seepage pits are required
by many townships
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Our 337 Excavator
easily lifts this concrete seepage pit to place
it at a precise elevation to disburse water collected
onsite. This tank is designed to allow water
to flow out all sides and also the open bottom.
Several feet of stone are placed below and around
the tank as well as in a rectangular area over
six hundred cubic feet. This design allows
for storm water run off remaining onsite without
causing flooding problems to either the property
owner or his neighbors. This is accomplished
with a large area of excavated
earth filled with loose
stone and into which water is directed for infiltration
into the ground. Many towns today
will require storm water to remain onsite when
building a new addition to an existing home. It
is an environmentally friendly manner to dispose
of your storm and drain water without adversely
affecting one's neighbors. |
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Exterior
Drains can also solve water problems
in the lawn as well.
This home in New Jersey
had a saturated backyard even during the summer
months. Mosquitoes were a major problem due
to this persistently saturated condition. Following
numerous quotes from area landscapers who simply
wanted to add top soil, the homeowner called
upon Bobcats for Hire to solve the water problems
plaguing their property. A comprehensive design
was proposed that included a combination of
French drain and also connection of leader drains.
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Upon
excavation, we found a large contributing factor
to the problem which could only be solved using
our gravity based system of drainage. The neighbor's
sump pump and roof drainage water were being
surreptitiously directed to the border of the
properties with nowhere to go except in the
lawn. (See pictures 1 and 2 above)A long trench
had been excavated approximately four feet deep
and diagonally across the property so that the
water could be routed to a city storm sewer
instead of this customer's backyard. The drain
is also protected with Typar filter fabric and
backfilled with 2 ½" crushed stone. Two
pipes are used as conduit for the water. The
lower pipe at the bottom of the trench is a
four inch perforated PVC pipe used
to carry the seeping water to the storm basin.
The visible pipe is also PVC, but solid to carry
away the water intruding from the neighboring
property directly to the storm sewer.
The entire trench is then
wrapped in the protective fabric where lawn
will be replanted. The end result is a dry back
yard with the added benefit that the basement
sump pump now runs much less frequently
than it did prior to the installation of the
drainage system in the backyard.
This entire system runs by
gravity and never needs a pump or electricity!
Professional grade filter fabric is being used
above to protect the trenches from sediment
buildup. This fabric is shipped on a fifteen
foot wide roll to ensure that the new drain
is properly protected. The fabric allows
water to flow through to the drain, but keeps
all sediment from contaminating the stone.
Filter fabric is the best way to ensure that
your drain will perform for many years to come. |
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Our
Bobcat compact track Excavators have the distinct
advantage over a traditional backhoe because
they can articulate their booms thereby allowing
them to excavate immediately adjacent to a building's
foundation. This is critical in exterior
foundation drain installations which are frequently
used to waterproof a basement with a gravity
type system. One of the many advantages to installing
an exterior foundation drain to remove water
via gravity is that it takes away the lifeblood
of mold and mildew. Our French Drain systems
designed with Paraseal's combined rubber and
Bentonite membrane will not only remove the
water seeping into your foundation, but also
remove the source for mold that is growing in
your damp walls. Studies have shown that mold
spores can be harmful to the health of a home's
occupants, and also that by eliminating the
source of water completely can also kill the
mold. Many businesses attempt to cure a home's
flooding basement with an "indoor"
style French Drain. This type of system lacks
several key benefits of an exterior gravity
system. First and foremost, an interior type
system encourages the water to flow through
your foundation walls which by definition keeps
the walls wet and hospitable to mold spores.
An exterior foundation drain properly designed
will allow water to move away from your home's
foundation walls which will prolong the life
of the structure. Second, an "interior"
French Drain doesn't actually get rid of the
water. Instead it directs the water into a small
swimming pool in your basement. Not only does
this pose a potential safety hazard for small
children, but also it forces you to rely on
electricity and a mechanical pump to keep your
basement dry during a heavy storm. Everyone
has experienced a power failure during a storm,
and it's most likely that a pump will fail when
you need it the most. These are among the reasons
why an exterior gravity based foundation drain
is a much more efficient and reliable method
for drying up your basement. Thirdly, an exterior
drainage system has the added benefit of also
drying up your lawn and landscape so that pets
and children have a cleaner environment in which
to play in. No "interior" type drainage
system can accomplish all of that and operate
with no moving parts, electricity or maintenance!!!
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Another Soggy,
wet lawn that is now dry
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Due to a long,
steady sloping rear property, this lot on the
left had been plagued with a continually wet
back yard. This lawn stayed wet even several
weeks following a rain. In the spring
of 2003, Bobcats for Hire had been asked to
diagnose the problem and to provide a solution
to the drainage issues. Following our
proposal for a solution, this homeowner opted
to have his cousin dig up the yard with a rented
excavator. (See photo below) Following
two days of destruction, the homeowner called
Bobcats for Hire to repair the damage and complete
the proper installation of the needed drainage
system. To the left is a photo of a trench
running across the length of the property.
The black filter fabric is used to protect the
drain, while the perforated PVC pipe and 2 ½"
stone are used as a conduit to carry all unwanted
water off the property. The trench is
later backfilled with stone and covered with
the filter fabric for protection. Due
in large part to the depth of this installation,
the backyard lawn had become noticeably dry
even prior to the completion of the work!!!
The children can now play safely in the backyard
without later bringing mud into the home. |
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Image with mouse for `After') |
BEFORE:
Neighboring properties pitched to this low,
wet spot
AFTER: Soggy lawn
and Mosquitoes are history!!!
This house in Hackettstown,
NJ was the lowest property of all the adjoining
lots. Water flowed onto this lot from
all directions, and during even moderate rainstorms,
the backyard became an unwanted swimming pool.
This backyard never dried out, even in the summer
months. In this case also, the homeowner
started the project only to find that it was
much too large for a do it yourself type project.
Our expert design routed all of the water by
gravity to a large collection basin where it
was then pumped out to an existing city storm
sewer across the street. This design worked
flawlessly with the result being a very dry
lawn in this same area! (rollover picture
on left) Everybody was happy to see both water
and mosquitoes disappear. |
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Persistent
Flooding year 'round
(Rollover
Image with mouse for `After')
A combination
of an underground an French Drain system and
surface drains were used to dispose of the
unwanted water at this home.The neighbors
property still delivers a steady stream of
unwanted water, but now that water is carried
away just as fast as it appears leaving our
customer's property and driveway dry.
The "wet" and "dry" pictures of this job were
taken three weeks apart. Our French Drains
will help your yard even if your home experiences
continuous saturation or "soggy"
soil.
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(Rollover
Image with mouse for `After')
This flooded property suffered
from a constant stream of water draining from
the neighbor up the hill. Water accumulated
in this area all year long not only due to the
long uphill grade in the background, but also
because the neighbor's sump pumps discharged
water almost continuously. Bobcats for
Hire successfully designed and installed a French
Drain system to remove the unwanted standing
water from our customer's property. Our
rubber track equipment easily moves about the
muck where a wheel type loader would get stuck.
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Be
smart and do the job right the first time. We
have installed many exterior gravity systems
to homes that already had and "interior"
style drain that just didn't do the job properly.
Add
substantial value to your home by installing
an exterior French Drain system to dry up your
basement, lawn, and Landscape!!! |
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